Alternatives to plastic
Plastics have been getting a bad rep for a while and it’s not without a reason. Most people know that when buying plastic you should stick to ‘BPA free’ but BPA isn’t the only component we should be avoiding in plastics. Recently the article in Mother Jones brought up concerns about other toxins in plastics. I am not a scientist with a lab and I can’t test the products that I buy for my daughter so the only thing I can do is stop buying anything made from plastic, especially items that come in contact with her food and mouth.
We’ve already replaced most of the plastics in our home but still have a few items we were using. I decided it was time to look into alternatives in more detail than I had done previously. My search focused on looking into and replacing my baby’s dishes, cups, forks and spoons. Here is what you need to know:
- Glass is the safest, non-toxic material you can buy. There are some crystal glasses that are made with lead but that is not the type of glass you buy for a toddler anyways.
- Stainless steel is the next best option. However, not all stainless is created equal. You need to make sure you buy the ’304′ or ’18/8′ or ‘18/10’ food grade kind.
I have to add I wasn’t sure if silicone was safe or not. However, in my research I’ve found that silicone has not been studied on children’s products so we don’t know if it’s safe or not. Therefore, I’m not even going to risk it. I’m avoiding silicone. This post has some great info on it.
What did I buy for my toddler?
Glass was not an option because she would break it and probably cut herself, so I had to look for stainless steel alternatives. They are a bit more expensive than plastic but they will last a lifetime and best of all, are not toxic!
Drinking:
Straw cup: The Safe Sippy 2: I love this cup because it’s a 2 in 1 – works as a sippy and a straw cup so it will grow with your baby and last you a long time. We have 3 of these since my baby only drinks from a straw.
Sippy cups: If your baby likes sippy cups only, you can also try these: Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup, Klean Kanteen Sippy Bottle or Pura Kiki Stainless Sippy Bottle (they also have a baby bottle)
Sports bottles: Once she gets bigger and starts liking more a sports bottle type I will get her The Safe Sporter Water Bottle or Klean Kanteen Bottle with Sport Cap. (Update 07/01/2014: my daughter now insists on drinking her water from sports bottles so I got one of each and we love them both!)
Glass bottles: Lifefactory Glass Bottles: Once my baby is older I might get her one of these that she can use under my supervision. It comes in Baby Bottles 4 oz and 9 oz, sippy and Beverage Bottle or Flip Cap version.
Glass cup: Once my daughter was able to drink from a regular cup without spilling the contents I got her the Silikids Siliskin Glass Cup, a toddler sized cup. I love that they’re covered in silicone so if she drops it it won’t break but at the same time she’s drinking from a non-toxic glass.
Eating and Out & About:
Untangled Living Anyware Collection: you can get it in Butterfly or Gecko design; I have both. This was my first stainless steel purchase and I love it because it’s all you need and it’s unbreakable. It comes with a spoon, fork, plate, bowl and cup. I use it at home daily and take it to grandma’s! I recently contacted them because my daughter lost one of the bowls and their customer service is great. So even if the product is a little pricey, it’s worth every penny.
Kids Konserve & LunchBots: These brands offer different types of containers so you can carry snacks and food when you’re out and about. They also offer other products like bottles, cutlery and straws.
From these brands I have the following:
- LunchBots Duo Stainless Steel Food Container
- LunchBots Rounds Leak Proof Stainless Steel Food Containers (I really like these and use them to carry most of my toddler’s snacks)
- Kids Konserve Stainless Steel Mini Food Containers
- LunchBots Children’s Cutlery Set
- Kids Konserve 2-Pack Stainless Steel Straws – although now we prefer EcoStraws because they are bent, making it much easier for my daughter to drink from it.
ECO Lunch box: This brand has many options for dishes to eat at home and containers to carry food.
From this brand I have the following:
- ECO Lunchboxes Stainless Steel 3-Section Food Tray
- Stainless Steel ECOlunchbox Three-in-One
- Stainless Steel Bento Box 2 piece oval Food Container
Wean Green Glass: Offers storage solutions for carrying your food. This is useful even when you have a toddler since you’ll be the ones carrying the snacks. I would not use for daycare/school.
From this brand I have the following:
- Wean Green Garden Pack Lunch Cubes Glass Food Containers: in lunch cubes & snack cubs
I also have this set of fork and spoon that comes with its own case. I carry it in my diaper bag for when we’re out eating.
I hope this will make it easier for you to figure out what to buy for your baby or toddler. If you do decide to buy another stainless steal brand just make sure it’s the food grade one.
Are you worried about the toxins in plastics? What alternative do you use?
Disclaimer: I was NOT given these products for review nor do I work for the companies mentioned in this post. They were purchased by me and I just wanted to share my findings with you. What’s written here is 100% my personal opinion.
By buying from the links in this post I will get a very small commission (without this affecting the price you pay for the item) – you can see it as a contribution to help keep my blog running. Thanks! 🙂
jess says
Great post! For food to daycare, we splurged on the klean kanteen canisters. Nothing else reviewed as well. What do you think of the plastic lids on the lunchbots? I’d love to find a divided lidded bowl for lunch time. We’re searching for a good sippy cup. Pura kiki had paint coming off after boiling, klean canteen sippy spout is polypropylene, not sure what to do here. Silicone seems most inert…all the baby bottle nipples and a lot of medical supplies are made of it. Thoughts?
Carolina says
Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. We were wrapping our vacation and things got crazy busy.
I think there isn’t one perfect product.
My favorite sippy is the safe sippy. Even though it’s not all made from stainless steel most of it is and it’s pretty sturdy.
I’m not a fan of anything plastic but most stainless steel containers have plastic lids. I personally am ok with it since it’s the best available option for us.
Silicone hasn’t been studied enough, in my opinion but I think it’s better than plastic. I try to buy things in this order: glass or wood, stainless steel, silicone and plastic.
Hope that helps!
Vanessa says
Ikea also makes really great glass storage containers with click tight lids. We use them a lot. They are great for the fridge because you can see what’s in them!
Thanks for this post, I am always looking for ways to make better choice!
Carolina says
Thanks for the tip! I’ll add those to the list. 🙂